Newsday Athlete of the Week is West Hempstead's Elizabeth Poirot

Elizabeth Poirot spends more time talking about her teammates than her success on the West Hempstead girls lacrosse field.

"She comes to practice every day and leads by example in the drills. Now, she has become a more vocal upperclassman," coach Suzanne Kenney said. "She's a leader in the huddle, (her teammates) see her working hard, and when your best player is a hard-working player, it inspires everyone else to step up."

Poirot's love for her teammates motivates her to become a better player every day. 

"I like to see my teammates being able to improve," Poirot said. "So many girls have been putting in the work since Day One, making me want to get better for them."

That was on full display on Wednesday.

Poirot scored the last seven goals for the Rams, including the tying and go-ahead ones with 7:20 left in West Hempstead's 13-11 win over Freeport. The junior finished with nine goals and two assists, earning her Newsday Athlete of the Week honors.

"We weren't running plays specifically for her, but she was able to win a couple of draws and get some quick goals," Kenney said. "We started to work the clock and started to run our offense. She found the gap and was able to put the ball in the back of the net."

Poirot credited her lacrosse IQ for the big day. 

"You need to be thinking at all times," Poirot said. "For me, it was about scanning their defense. I figured out one of their plays: when they pressure out, they say 'blue,' so I knew what to do; it was all IQ."

West Hempstead lost to Freeport with a playoff spot on the line during Poirot's first year playing varsity, so this victory was extra sweet. 

"When I was in eighth grade, we lost to Freeport. I said, 'OK, this is it. We're playing Freeport again and getting this win,' " Poirot said. "I didn't want a repeat of four years ago."

Scoring goals comes naturally to Poirot, as she was the leading scorer in Nassau last year with 74. This year is no different, as she currently leads all of Long Island in goals with 30.

"She's always had a knack to get to the cage," Kenney said. "We can be down a couple of goals, and it's not over for us. We fight to the end, and she spurs that on. Her teammates feed off that fire and that energy."

In addition to her standout performance in the field, Poirot still finds time to participate in the National Honor Society and she maintains a 102 GPA.

"You always hear people say, 'You have to put the student in student-athlete' It's so funny because it's so true," Poirot said. "I am able to balance it because I know I have to. If I'm going to be good at lacrosse, I have to be good at school."

Poirot is a member of Athletes Helping Athletes, a program where students teach younger students about life lessons while discussing social issues.

"I'm so honored to be a part of this program," Poirot said. "I remember when I was younger, I thought this was the most inspirational thing ever. I wanted to be like them when I got older.

Poirot is excited for the rest of the season. She feels this team can win a county championship.

"When I saw more girls signing up for lacrosse," Poirot said, "I said this is the year we will go all out."